Eli Roth’s adaptation of the beloved Borderlands video game is out and it’s set to be the wackiest video game adaptation we’ve gotten yet. The official synopsis of the movie from Lionsgate sets up a story involving a ragtag team of misfits:
“Lilith, an infamous outlaw with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of the universe’s most powerful S.O.B., Atlas. Lilith forms an alliance with an unexpected team — Roland, a former elite mercenary, now desperate for redemption; Tiny Tina, a feral teenage demolitionist; Krieg, Tina’s musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Tannis, the scientist with a tenuous grip on sanity; and Claptrap, a persistently wiseass robot. These unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their hands but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other.”
The trailers have been pretty straightforward: there will be lots of colorful characters, lots of snark, and lots and lots of explosions. Those characters are thanks to not just the writing of the video games, but also the excellent casting for the roles: Cate Blanchett (Lilith), Kevin Hart (Roland), Ariana Greenblatt (Tiny Tina), Florian Munteanu (Krieg), Jamie Lee Curtis (Tannis), and Jack Black as the voice of Claptrap. That’s a stacked cast any way you look at it, from bona fide A-listers to up and coming supporting stars.
For those unfamiliar with the games, the world is also a lot of fun. The sci-fi space Western Borderlands video games is set on the desert planet of Pandora and follow a series of Vault Hunters who are a cross between thieves, adventurers, and tomb raiders. Their mission is to find vaults that contain ancient, valuable artifacts. Along the way, they have to deal with mutants, creatures, scavengers, and various military operations hellbent on stopping them. It’s a colorful world that has grown beloved for a reason.
Borderlands is also known for its unique playable character powers and wide range of high-tech weapons, a perfect blend of magical fantasy and big, booming sci-fi. The trailers have shown off a bit of this, but there’s sure to be more revealed in the movie, including some of those aforementioned powers. If the Borderlands movie can successfully pull off those elements of the video games, it could be a very fun ride.
